Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 16

Folklore of Tunnels: Hidden Networks and Lost Pipers

Tunnels seem to accrue more folklore than most. Perhaps it’s because we can’t see where they go when we can only see the entrance. Or perhaps we’ve been so primed by fiction to believe tunnels must lead somewhere that we love the idea of a secret world beneath our feet. Some tunnel legends are common […]

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Catacombs Folklore: Ghosts, Vampires & the Holy Grail

The concept of catacombs dates to first-century Rome, where the catacombs provided underground tombs. The Romans didn’t permit burial within the city walls, and while pagans cremated their dead, the Christians had to find other solutions. Jewish communities already used the catacombs and Christian communities adopted them in the 2nd century. They’d fallen out of […]

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Wizard’s Cave or Smuggler’s Cave: Treasure in Tynemouth!

Tynemouth Castle and Priory stands on a lonely promontory intruding into the savage North Sea. Legends tell of underground passages and dungeons below the Castle and Priory site. Among this network lies a cave, often known as Jingling Geordie’s Hole, Jingling Man’s Hole or the Wizard’s Cave. The entrance apparently lay on the north side […]

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Did treasure once lie in the Wizard’s Cave of Tynemouth?

Tynemouth Castle and Priory stands on a lonely promontory intruding into the savage North Sea. Legends tell of underground passages and dungeons below the Castle and Priory site. Among this network lies a cave, often known as Jingling Geordie’s Hole, Jingling Man’s Hole or the Wizard’s Cave. The entrance apparently lay on the north side […]

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4 Weird Ghost Stories Direct From Real Life

Halloween is a perfect time of year to tell ghost stories. Lord knows I have enough weird ghost stories among my free short stories. But I ran a poll on Twitter, and a whopping 90% of the respondents on Twitter wanted me to talk about my own weird experiences, rather than explore a traditional ghost […]

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How does the severed head appear in folklore?

The severed head is a common motif in films and television. Horror as a genre is full of beheadings, and heads mounted on pikes draw their authenticity from historical practices. Heads made excellent display objects if you wanted to warn your enemies that you meant business. People recognise severed heads and only one conclusion can be […]

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Just Hanging Around: The Gallows in English Folklore

The gallows are perhaps more associated with the creepy opening shots of horror films. A body dangles from the scaffold while a hunched figure scurries around its base, wreathed in shadows and ground mist. But is there more to the gallows? Does their appearance mark them as simple set dressing, or are they the site […]

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Avoid disaster in the family with these death superstitions

Death superstitions provide a common theme throughout folklore. It’s hardly surprising. Before the advent of modern medicine and health and safety, communities may have felt more at the mercy of life’s whims. Following superstitions gives an element of control. Indeed, many of them also have mundane roots. Hanging a dish cloth over a door knob […]

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“I Can Feel It In My Bones”: Skeletons in Folklore

Skeletons are a common costume choice at Halloween. But they’re the ultimate symbol of death. Let’s be honest, if I see a skeleton, then I know I’m looking at a dead body. Finding lost or buried bones is common in Gothic stories. Revealing the bones brings forth a hidden secret. There’s even a profession dedicated […]

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The Folklore of Seaside Plants: From Gorse to Mallow

When you think of the seaside, you might think of warm sand, vast open skies, grassy dunes, and waves breaking on the shore. You might not think of plant life. Yet coastal areas often host a plethora of seaside plants. Make no mistake, these are tough plants. They need to be, to endure salty, sandy, […]

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